Bratsk Hydroelectric Power Station, Hydroelectric power station in Bratsk, Russia
Bratsk Hydroelectric Power Station is a dam on the Angara River with 18 turbines generating electricity for factories in the region. The structure runs more than 900 meters across the river and creates a reservoir that reaches far upstream.
Construction began in 1954 when the Soviet Union pushed to industrialize Siberia and harness hydroelectric power for new aluminum plants. Work continued for about a decade and led to the growth of Bratsk from a workers camp into a city.
The power station stands as a cultural heritage site, representing an engineering milestone of Russian hydroelectric development during the mid-twentieth century.
The site sits a few kilometers from the city center and can be reached by taxi or local bus. A visit makes sense mainly for those interested in large-scale industrial engineering.
In its first years of operation the plant was the largest hydroelectric facility in the world. It was later overtaken by another station on the Yenisei River.
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